[1] The ruddy mongoose's fur is brownish and coarse, long in hindquarters, but short in other parts of the body.

It is distinguished by the Indian grey mongoose by its slightly larger size and jet black-tipped tail.

[3] Herpestes smithii was the scientific name proposed by John Edward Gray in 1837 for a zoological specimen in the collection of the British Museum Natural History.

Like other mongooses, it hunts by day and by night,[3] and feeds on birds, rat snakes, land monitors, rodents and snails.

The golden palm civet (Paradoxurus zeylonensis), altogether a different species endemic to Sri Lanka, is also called hotambuwa due to similar appearance and coloration.